Not counting the Normandy-class battleships, the dreadnoughts that France now has, plus the three "Danton" class battleships known as the "strongest former dreadnoughts", France now has a total of 10 battleships, which are still strong.

During the World War, the battleship "Danton" was sunk by the German submarine U64 near the waters of Sardinia, and the "Vignio" and "Mirabo" were severely damaged by a storm in the Crimea last year, and after returning to Toulon, both ships were treated as target ships, and now there are only three ships left in service, namely "Condorse", "Diderot", and "Voltaire", with a displacement of 18,890 tons.

The largest warship in southern Africa, the "Johannesburg", has a tonnage of only 9,500, which is a little more than half of the three "former dreadnoughts".

"That's not going to work—" Bainbridge Colby didn't let go, it's not a question of strength or not, the purpose of the Washington Naval Conference is to limit the arms race, not to determine naval strength, if France and Italy are really given 300,000 tons, then France and Italy will definitely build new ships.

Mediterranean Sea –

Britain also has extensive interests, once France and Italy build new ships, will Britain build them?

Britain builds new ships, and the United States will definitely have to follow suit.

The United States formulates a new shipbuilding program, and Japan will certainly have to follow suit.

In this way, the Washington Naval Conference is meaningless.

Thinking about this problem, Roque also wanted to "get sick" directly.

It's a pity that it doesn't work, the sixty-year-old Yuzaburo Kato is trying to persevere, and the strong Roque has no reason to get sick.

In September, when the meeting was still inconclusive, the French government came with the news that the French government had decided to abandon and dismantle all five Normandy-class battleships, considering that it would take five to six years to restart the Normandy-class battleships.

Among the five battleships, except for the slower "Béarn", whose hull completion is only 25%, the other four are all above 60% complete, the main engine is 50% to 70% complete, the boilers of "Normandy" and "Flanders" and "Gascony" have been completed and are used to equip other ships, and the boilers of "Languedoc" are 96% complete.

This news aroused the attention of all parties involved in the naval conference, but it is not easy for the French government to sell the ship, the country that has the ability to equip the dreadnought does not look down on the Normandy-class battleship, and the country that cannot afford it cannot afford it, the French government has considered converting the hull of the first four ships with a high degree of completion to other uses, and the reconstruction plan includes freighters, cruise ships, oil tankers and even floating fuel warehouses, but it is either too expensive or the safety is insufficient, and it can only be disassembled and sold in the end.

"Southern Africa also needs a strong navy, a navy without dreadnoughts has no soul, a strong dreadnought is a symbol of sea power, aircraft carriers have a future, but the deterrence is insufficient, if southern Africa is willing to buy the hulls of these five Normandy-class battleships, then considering the friendship between France and southern Africa, the French government will give a price that includes friendship." Albert Sarau was willing to sell the hulls of five Normandy-class battleships to Southern Africa at a friendly price, so that the French government got rid of the burden and Southern Africa had dreadnoughts, a win-win situation!

"Your Excellency, the total tonnage of the capital ships of the Royal Navy has exceeded 500,000 tons, and even the dreadnoughts in service must be dismantled to build new ones, and the performance of the Normandy-class battleships is not good, and now they are seriously backward, and it is just a hull, not even a boiler and main gun, what do you want it to do?" Roque described the Normandy-class battleships as almost worthless, but in fact they were not so unbearable.

The Normandy-class battleships had a design displacement of 25,000 tons and were equipped with five twin 340 mm caliber guns, which were later modified to three quadruple turrets with a maximum speed of 21 knots, which deliberately strengthened underwater protection and enhanced the defense against torpedoes.

Compared with the latest battleships of Britain, the United States and Japan, although the Normandy-class battleships have obvious shortcomings, they are still very attractive for countries like southern Africa that do not have battleships.

King George V-class battleships are not the King George V class after that, King George V-class battleships started construction in 1911, 4 ships of the same class, in World War I, "Daring" in October 1914 when leaving the port for training, in the waters north of Ireland when the port engine room flooded, lost power and towed failed to capsize and sank, the other three participated in the Battle of Jutland, after the war, according to the provisions of the Washington Naval Treaty, in order to leave a tonnage space for the construction of Nelson-class battleships and all decommissioned.

It is a pity that the Southern African Navy is part of the British Navy and is not qualified to form a separate navy, so Southern Africa cannot buy Normandy-class battleships, and if they do, they cannot equip them.

"The Normandy-class battleships are not as bad as you say, even if they are not built battleships, they can be converted into aircraft carriers or other ships." Albert Sarau worked hard to get rid of the five iron shells.

The point is that the asking price of the French is not cheap yet.

You must know that the cost of French man-made warships is much higher than the cost of building warships in southern Africa, and on the whole, the cost of the same warship in southern Africa is more than half of the cost of France, so Roque does not look down on Normandy-class battleships, which is different from a certain country selling aircraft carrier shells in the future.

"Your Excellency, even if a battleship is converted into an aircraft carrier, its performance is also very limited, and Southern Africa has the best aircraft carriers in the world, and there is no need to buy hull modifications at all-" When it comes to aircraft carriers, then Roque really doesn't want it.

Southern Africa is two aircraft carriers produced by the United Kingdom, with a full load displacement of 22,000 tons, which can carry 80 carrier-based aircraft.

The "Transvaal" and "Nyasaland", which have already laid keels in southern Africa, have reduced their full load displacement to only 20,000 tons, but they can carry more carrier-based aircraft, reaching an unprecedented 108 aircraft, and their combat effectiveness is unprecedentedly strong.

"3 million, five Normandy-class battleships, only 3 million." Albert Sarau offered a direct offer, the price was indeed not expensive, but it was not enough for Roque.

"It's just five iron hulls, and the hull of the 'Béarn' is only 25% complete, 3 million francs?" Roque's counteroffer is very insincere, and there is more than that's it for scrap iron.

"Sir, those are five powerful battleships, among which the fastest progress of the 'Normandy' and 'Flanders' has been 60% complete, and the main engine of the 'Languedoc' is 73% complete, so it can be said that it only takes a little money and time to get five powerful battleships." Albert Sarau had an ugly expression, and the exchange of 3 million francs into rand, probably only about 120,000.

"I'll think about it—" Roark didn't say anything, there was room for maneuver in this.

Just because Southern Africa can't equip battleships doesn't mean that the East Indies or the Sultanate of Najd can't equip them, and the East Indies and the Sultanate of Najd are not Commonwealth countries and are not subject to the restrictions of the Washington Naval Conference.

Of course, if the East Indies were to buy battleships, they would definitely be opposed by Japan, and the Sultanate of Najd would be opposed by France and Italy.

But it doesn't matter, there are also the Kingdom of Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, the Kingdom of Congo, and the newly independent West Africa in Southern Africa, all of which can be used.

Sending Albert Sarau away, Roque sent a telegram to Pretoria, and at the same time, he summoned Xiao Si and Owen to discuss how to borrow chickens to lay eggs.

"Neither the East Indies nor the Sultanate of Najd, these two regions have a conflict of interest with Japan and Italy, and if these two countries are equipped with dreadnoughts, it will cause unease in Japan and Italy - oh, and France - " Owen knew how sensitive this issue was, dreadnoughts were different from battleships, and they could lead to an imbalance of power in the region in a minute, and maybe a war at that time.

"Then let the Republic of the Congo and the Kingdom of the Congo buy it, neither of these two countries cares-" Xiao Si is afraid that the world will not be chaotic.

"The United States will object." Owen is still worried that the United States is very aware of the relationship between southern Africa and the Republic of Congo and the Kingdom of Congo, and if the Republic of Congo and the Kingdom of Congo buy it, it will be tantamount to strengthening the strength of the Royal Navy in disguise.

"No, no, no, it's different, Owen, the United States will not object, and of course it will not support, the United States will acquiesce-" Xiao Si sneered, if Southern Africa has four Normandy-class battleships, then the ambitions of the Southern African Navy will expand, maybe it will take the initiative to pursue battleships with larger tonnage, and then there will be some new problems within the Royal Navy.

The country that most wants to see independence from the Commonwealth in southern Africa is probably the United States.

"Well, then the final question, the Normandy-class battleships, are they worth our money." Owen is not just worried about funding, but also about technology and ability.

The 3 million offered by Albert Sarao is certainly not a franc, whether it is a rand or a pound, 3 million for five hulls is too expensive, cut it in half.

Even if it is cut in half, if all five Normandy-class battleships are built, I am afraid that the investment will be at least one or two hundred million.

Not to mention the funds, there is money in southern Africa, funding is not a problem, the problem is technology and capabilities, although Port Edward can build aircraft carriers of more than 20,000 tons, but battleships have never been built, whether there is this ability remains to be verified.

And more importantly, once all the five Normandy-class battleships are completed, the use of these five Normandy-class battleships will require at least seven or eight thousand sailors, plus the logistics department and base staff, and the manpower required will definitely exceed 10,000, which is another heavy burden for the Ministry of Defense of Southern Africa.

Of course, the benefits are not impossible, regardless of whether Roque likes battleships or not, if the navy of a powerful country does not have three or five battleships to support the façade, it is really not good.

Including Patton, if Patton was given a battleship and an aircraft carrier for Patton to choose, Patton would most likely choose a battleship as well.